Abstract

Field experiments determined the susceptibilities and sensitivities of a wide
range of crop, annual pasture, and forage legumes to infection with alfalfa
mosaic (AMV) and pea seed-borne mosaic (PSbMV) viruses. Seed harvested from
most of the species was tested for virus seed transmission. With AMV, all 23
Cicer arietinum genotypes tested were ranked as highly
susceptible, and 9 out of 19 Lens culinaris genotypes as
highly susceptible, 8 susceptible, 1 moderately resistant, and 1 resistant.
Genotypes of Vicia narbonensis (5),
Lathyrus cicera (5), L. sativus
(5), L. ochrus(2), V. sativa (1),
and V. benghalensis (1) were highly susceptible,
susceptible, or moderately resistant. Genotypes of
Pisum sativum (5) and V. faba(3)
were susceptible, moderately resistant, or resistant but 1 genotype of
V. faba was not found infected. Sensitivities ranged
from low in L. ochrus to high in some genotypes of most
species tested exceptV. benghalensis. The 20 genotypes
(19 species) of pasture and forage legumes ranged from ‘not found
infected’ in Hedysarum coronarium to ‘highly
susceptible’ in Ornithopus sativus and
Trifolium resupinatum. Sensitivity varied from low in
T. michelianum to very high in
Biserrula pelecinusand
Ornithopus sativus. With PSbMV, the genotypes
ofP. s a t i v u m (17),
V. narbonensis (5), and
L. cicera(3) were ranked as highly susceptible,
susceptible, or moderately resistant, while those of
L. ochrus(3), V. faba(6),
V. sativa (3), V. benghalensis (2)
and V. ervilia(1) were either moderately resistant or
resistant. The genotypes of C. arietinum (6) and
Lens culinaris (6) were all resistant. With
L. sativus, 2 genotypes were resistant and 1 was not
found infected. Sensitivities ranged from low in some
P. sativum genotypes to high in some
ofL. ciceraand V. narbonensis. The
seed coats of 9 crop legume species developed necrotic ring markings, a
serious quality defect due to PSbMV infection. Of the 19 genotypes
(1/species) of pasture and forage legumes, 4 were resistant with only
symptomless infection developing and the remainder not found infected. In
glasshouse inoculations to genotypes not found infected in the field, AMV
infected V. faba cv. Ascot systemically
butH. coronarium cv. Grimaldi (with AMV) and
L. sativus BIO L254 (with PSbMV) only became infected in
inoculated leaves, H. coronarium developing a localised
hypersensitive reaction.

Seed transmission of AMV was detected in
L. cicera(2%), L. sativus
(0.9–4%), V. benghalensis(0.9%),
V. narbonensis (0.1%), and
V. sativa (0.7%). It was also found in 15 pasture
and forage legume species, ranging from 0.05% in
T. michelianum to 7% in
Trigonella balansae. Seed transmission of PSbMV was
detected in L. cicera(0.4%),
L. clymenum (5%), L. ochrus
(0.7%), L. sativus (1%),
P sativum(1–18%),
V. benghalensis (0.1%),
V. faba (2%), and V. sativa
(0.3%). The implications of these findings and their importance to the
management of these and other virus diseases are discussed.